


Out of This World

by suckerfordeansfreckles



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Baby Claire Novak, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Neighbors, Castiel is Claire Novak's Parent, Dean is very weak for Dads, Especially Cas being a Dad, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Single Parent Castiel (Supernatural), Soft Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-10 03:44:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21463783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suckerfordeansfreckles/pseuds/suckerfordeansfreckles
Summary: Dean can’t explain what it is about men with children, especially small ones, but they do things to him.They make him… feel all soft and gooey. Make him want a partner and a child running around his too-empty house, making his life a little louder and more colorful.Just regular men, with dad bods, pushing strollers and cooing to their small, chubby, red-cheeked babies. It’s absolutely ridiculous and he can’t explain it at all, but… Regular men with babies already make him weak.And then there’s his neighbor, Cas.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 53
Kudos: 564
Collections: My Bookmark, The Destiel Fan Survey Favs Collection





	Out of This World

Dean can’t explain what it is about men with children, especially small ones, but they do things to him. 

They make him… feel all soft and gooey. Make him want a partner and a child running around his too-empty house, making his life a little louder and more colorful.

Just regular men, with dad bods, pushing strollers and cooing to their small, chubby, red-cheeked babies. It’s absolutely ridiculous and he can’t explain it at all, but… Regular men with babies already make him weak. 

And then there’s his neighbor, Cas.

Cas is — Cas is out of this world. 

They used to talk a lot more, back before Cas got custody of Claire. He’s an awesome guy, intelligent, sweet, compassionate, friendly, funny and just so good. They spent time with each other, hanging out in their gardens and living rooms, having dinner and drinking beer by Cas’ pool. Then Cas told him about his ex, about the baby that will be with him in a few months. Dean even helped him paint the room he conveyed to a nursery. They were friends. Dean was so close to asking him out… to try for more.

But then Cas took in Claire, and all his time and energy had to be on this little bundle of life. Obviously. Doesn’t mean Dean misses him less, though. And now, when Cas walks by his house, it’s not only just his gorgeous, hot friend — but also Cas, a soft and caring and sweet father to a tiny, cute baby.

Cas is walking by again this morning, and Dean just stepped outside to grab his mail, still in his pajamas on this fine Saturday. And now he’s standing and staring, again, he knows he is. But there, across the lawn, is Cas. Castiel Novak, single parenting a seven-month-old girl named Claire seemingly like he was made for it. 

He’s got Claire strapped to his chest, rocking her gently while he walks, her tiny blonde head against his chest. He has one big, broad hand on her back, the other one gripping a half-empty bottle of milk while simultaneously pushing the stroller in front of him with the hand not patting Claire’s back. 

His hair is ruffled like crazy, he hasn’t shaved in a while, and there is a questionable stain on his jeans on left thigh — and Dean absolutely fucking loses his mind. How in the world is this guy even real. How is he this cute when he looks like an absolute mess.

What the actual —

Dean misses his last step down on his way to the mailbox and ends up stumbling along his driveway, cheeks burning up with embarrassment. He hopes Cas didn’t catch it, just keeps his eyes on the floor and swiftly walks towards his mailbox when —

“Hello, Dean,” he hears, in that low, growly voice that has him weak in the knees. 

“Oh, Cas, hey there!” He stutters, sending Cas his biggest smile. He’s close now, so close that he comes to a stop in front of Dean, still raising up onto his toes and down again to keep rocking Claire. Dean tries to take a breath, but it ends up shallow and gasping. “How are you? How’s our sweetest girl?” 

“Oh, she — we haven’t had the best few days, to be honest,” Cas says softly and his hand is still gently patting her back. “Claire has been having tummy troubles, so I kind of have to keep rocking her, or she’ll start crying again. It started yesterday morning, her doc assured me that it’s nothing out of the ordinary. But she just… I can’t put her down.”

Cas looks miserable, suddenly, tired and drained, but when he looks down at his daughter, a loving smile stretches across his face. 

“I’m sorry, dude, do you — Do you need help? I’d be more than happy to help, I mean, if you trust me with her, I don’t, um,” he stumbles over his words, ears surely bright red. 

“Yes,” Cas blurts, before Dean can stutter out more. “Yes, please, if you’re serious about this. I… I would love a shower. If you’d really take her for a bit?”

Dean sends him a smile, genuine and wide, and nods. And that settles it.

He steps forward, takes the stroller from Cas and pushes it until they reach Cas’ porch. It’s only when he steps through the door behind Cas and toes off his shoes that realizes that he’s still in his pyjamas, but Cas doesn’t seem to care, so Dean tries to tamp down his embarrassment and follows Cas into the living room.

It’s not quite like he remembers, there’s no alcohol around, there are safety stickers on the edges of the coffee table, fuzzy carpets all over the floor. Chew toys on the table, baby blankets spread out on the couch. Dean knows he’s ridiculous, but it kind of melts his heart. Cas is doing so well with Claire, and Dean is weirdly proud. He remembers quite a few drunken nights of Cas sharing his worries. None of them came to be true, just as Dean assured Cas it would be.

“Dean, are you sure? This is a little much, to ask,” Cas says, as he steps towards the couch and unbuckles the straps holding Claire against his chest. 

“Hey,” Dean says, as soft as he can. Claire is gurgling quietly, but she doesn’t sound unhappy. “You know I like you, I care about you — you two. If holding her for a little while and allowing you a shower is what you want, I’m here. I’d love to hold her, too.” 

Cas’ answering smile is so soft, it has Dean’s heart skipping a few beats. And then he hands Claire to Dean, and it takes a few minutes of carefully shuffling her, but he eventually manages to hold that tiny squirming bundle against his chest in a way that is both safe and healthy, according to Cas. 

He doesn’t dare carry her while walking through the room, the way Cas suggests, but he carefully sinks down on the couch with Claire and rocks her in his arms. 

She’s wrinkling her small nose, tiny fingers grabbing and holding onto Dean’s shirt, and Dean’s heart burns in his chest. He barely notices when Cas leaves for the shower, can’t tell how much time passes until he steps back in. The fact that his hair is still damp, that he’s wearing sweatpants and a wide shirt that slips down his shoulder, shows his collar bone — that’s the only thing that manages to pull his attention from Claire for a little while.

“She really likes you,” Cas whispers, looking down at where Claire is sleeping in Dean’s arms. “I’m impressed.”

“I really like her, too,” Dean answers, smiling as he shifts to the side to allow Cas to sit down next to him. He’s not sure what makes him say the next words, maybe the warmth of Claire in his arm, maybe the softness of his heart. “I really like you, too.”

Cas looks up abruptly, eyes wide and smile wavering. “You — Even with Claire?”

“Yes. Especially with Claire,” Dean smiles up at Cas, hope burning in his stomach, and then he carefully leans a little closer.

Cas bites his lip, and then he leans in, over Claire, and plants the softest of kisses on Dean’s mouth. He makes a soft noise, low in his throat. “I’ve been wanting to do that for so long,” he whispers, kissing Dean again.

“Yeah? Me too,” Dean replies, dazed and happy and warm.

“I would like to continue this — But first, if you don’t mind, I’d like to let you hold her a little longer and take a quick nap? I will be much more entertaining once I got an hour of sleep,” Cas chuckles, and before Dean can protest — not like he would ever decline the opportunity to hold Claire a little longer, to help Cas a little more — he shuffles down until he’s sinking into the couch and his head is pressing against Dean’s thigh. 

“Good night, Dean. Thank you. I really like you too.”,“ Cas murmurs, and then he closes his eyes and dozes off in a heartbeat. 

And leaves Dean with a wildly beating heart and Claire babbling in his arms. And he has never felt better.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this random silly, soft thing!


End file.
